Hanging by a Moment
by peeta's-buns-don't-lie
Summary: Tratie. Chrisse. Percabeth. Perachel. Thaluke. Juniver. Thalico. Silendorf. Lukabeth. These are just some of the sweetest unwritten moments between every couple you can think. Extremely adorable one shots of abused PJO couples. All are IC. Anti-OOC. R&R.
1. Tales of Tratie: Mystery Man

Get ready for extreme _AW!_s with...

Tratie.

* * *

I _knew_ I couldn't do it. But I knew I couldn't live with myself if I never took the chance.

Of course, Connor was no help whatsoever. I could hear him planning against our soon-to-be(-or-maybe-not) date in the bunk below mine in the middle of the night. The plans he had figured up so far weren't exactly comforting, and I wasn't looking forward to experiencing what would happen _after _the monster-dust downpour.

_No, _I thought. _You've gotta ask her no matter what. Deal with your idiot brother later, stupid. _

I could feel the goosebumps rise on my forearms. What if she turned me down? What if she laughed at me? What if I chickened out and ended up babbling about things that didn't matter. Huge turn-off.

_NO! Who cares if it might be the most embarrassing day of your life? Katie's worth the risk._

Connor would be so dead if he messed up my date. The prank was almost better than the time _I_ put a fake mustache and nerdy 3-D glasses on the Ares cabin's boar head.

_What if he really went through with his cold-blooded prank? To sabotage his own brother's dream date?_

_No. Connor's a slimy snake, but not a scaly crocodile. _

Of course, I was still almost entirely unsure that I was actually telling the truth or lying. But things like that can't be lied about, right?_ Whatever. __You need to focus right now, anyway._

I shook it off and stomped awkwardly over to the pink, sparkly, body-length mirror I had stolen from an Aphrodite kid_.  
_

First, I practiced the entrance.

"Katie... _baby_...Wassup?"

No. Too Vegas.

"Why, howdy, Katie!"

No way. Too _Little House on the Praire_.

"_Yo, yo, yo_-"

I'm pretty sure I sounded equivalent to Eminem when he was five.

"GRRR!" I roared, a fist closing around a handful of dark-brown curly hair.

I froze when I saw my horrifying expression reflecting from the mirror. I grimaced. I was hideously furious.

I attempted to toss my hair across the side of my forehead like Justin Bieber. I wonder if that was the key to chick magnetism. of course, my hair popped back into place in tufts of twirly strands that stuck straight up like I'd been electrified. Screw the _Bieber _option.

I sighed, crossing my arms. This was as good as it'd get.

I stared mournfully at myself before smoothing down my mini Mohawk and tromping out the cabin door.

I tried to make my walk to the Demeter cabin as casual as possible. I whistled, stuffed my hand in my pockets. Apparently that only made me more suspicious, because I caught a few troubling glances. One girl was clutching her diamond necklace like it was her key to life. I couldn't blame them, but it was hard not being trusted with anything except prank requests.

A queasy feeling in my stomach struck me. What if the whole thing went wrong? What if something horrible interrupted our date? What if she doesn't like me? What if she thinks I'm pathetic, ugly, and stuff? What then?

My mind immediately jumped to a prank I would-

_No. _I said to myself for the millionth time. _Stop jumping to ridiculous conclusions. _

_Katie **isn't **like that._

By the time I caught back to reality, it was too late.

I was standing in front of the Demeter cabin. Or five feet in front of it, anyway. Either way, nothing could wipe the image of Katie Gardener's expression out of my head.

Her look was expectant but fierce as she loomed protectively over her Forget-Me-Not's. A stripe of greasy soil was smeared across her rosy cheek, a loose brown bun that looked like it'd collapse any minute protruded from the top of her head. Her usual overalls and farming boots were also covered with grimy dirt. Her gardening shovel was raised like she was planning on planting a flower in my face.

"Well?" she said. "Are you going to try and take my new experimental plant or what? If you are, then get it over with, or face the wrath of this _shovel_ in your _gut_."

I snorted. I couldn't help it. She was five and a half feet of pure fury. But cute fury.

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously and I hushed myself. She was actually quite terrifying. I could almost imagine the feeling of a shovel being thrust into my stomach by the look her bright green eyes alone.

I raised my hands in surrender. "I-I..."

She laughed warmly, and knelt back down into the dirt of the cabin-side garden that grew year-round like she had never even seen me. "I'm just _kidding_, Hermesian. Get a grip."

I laughed a little, scratching the back of my neck.

"So..." I said. "I see you're working on a new project?"

She shrugged, not taking her eyes from the strange plant sprouting at her knee. "It isn't technically a new project. I've been planning ever since I discovered we could create hybrids out of hybrids, too."

She laughed like it was supposed to be a hilarious joke. I followed after her with a rather creepy cackle.

"That's fascinating," I said, pretending to survey the plants.

She beamed, clapping her fingers together in a silent clap. "I know, right!"

She squealed really high-pitched before scooting over so she could admire the leaves.

Then she furrowed her eyebrows, pressing a finger to her chin. "This flower has halted its photosynthesis..."

"Um... what?"

She smiled to herself more than to me. "This plant has stopped producing its chlorophyll."

I nodded. Chlorophyll sounded like a cleaning appliance.

"I'll have to fix that later," she said, brushing off her gardening gloves on her overall pants. She got up from her seat in the soil. "So. What're you here for?"

"Um..." I twisted around my hands through my shirt.

She waved a hand to the wide and expanded garden. "We have a new batch of Forget-Me-Not flowers. We have a few cherry trees in the back. And ready-made bouquets with love letters already printed for an on-the-go anniversary present!"

My hands were shaking. "No, I came here to talk to you, actually."

Katie frowned. "Oh. I have no time for personal matters. We're running low on roses this week."

She picked up her shovel and made a motion with it, air-jabbing it at my face, but with a wide smile.

"Listen..." I replied. "I wanted to know if you..."

"If I have any-"

"No," I interrupted, ignoring Katie's scorn of disapproval. "I wanted to know if you have your eye on anyone."

She looked taken aback, a blush creeping its way up her smeared but beautiful face. She seemed to feel it too, because she reached up a hand to her cheek.

Then her face became more red, her circular eyes shrinking to green slits. "What's it to you?"

I scrambled for a reply. I should've thought this out more. "W-well... you see, I-"

"You have a friend that's interested?" she muttered, looking quite disgusted.

"Um... sure."

She nodded, rolling her eyes. "Sorry, but I have to decline," she replied, pivoting on her feet to kneel in the soil. "My heart belongs to all things that grow from the ground, not a simple, innocent crush."

My heart was broken. "Oh, okay... I'll let him know."

* * *

When I found out the Demeter and Hermes cabins would be in alliance for Capture the Flag, I knew I was condemned to death.

But when I found out I was battle partners with Katie, I knew I was condemned to suicide.

Two massive huddles of campers stood facing each other, sneering at the others. One group consisted of Athena, Hephaestus, Poseidon, and Aphrodite. My team was made up of Ares, Apollo, Hermes, Dionysus, and Demeter. Of course, I knew they had an unfair advantage. They had the best strategists and fighters (besides the Aphrodite cabin).

I wasn't too confident about this one. Mostly because I'd suffer from extreme heartbreak the entire time. But, I'm a man. I can suck it, right?

I lost all willpower when she trudged over.

She was her usual self, except the dirt was just over her eyelid now. She didn't seem to notice it, but there was also a dirt clump stuck in her hair.

She smiled casually, strapping on her breastplate. "Howdy, partner."

I smiled weakly, keeping a distance. "Yee-haw."

She giggled, but hushed when Chiron blew his conch.

"Demigods, attention!" the centaur yelled. "Attention!"

All of the campers turned to him.

"That's better." He cleared his throat, smirking. "You all know the rules. No new campers, correct?"

Everyone started muttering and discussing among their partner.

"Hush, children," Chiron purred, and silence enveloped the glade. "Start on my blow."

One. Two. Three.

The horn blew, and the campers immediately scattered throughout the forest.

Katie tapped my shoulder from below. "Are you coming, or what?"

I nodded, and she began running. I had no choice but to follow her.

She leaped through the forest like a gazelle on steroids. I raced after her, lost her a few times, but she was always waiting for me around the next bend or behind a tree. It was like I blinked, and she'd be gone. And then the other way around.

She finally came to a climax, about halfway into enemy territory. She turned to me, panting.

"So... the plan's to fight off anyone who tries to interfere with the flag while the others try and get it over the boundary?" I guessed.

She nodded, crouching down to rest her hands on her knees.

"Can you keep an eye... while I... take a breather?" she choked between gasps.

I was pretty tired too, but of course, I wasn't going to say no. We'd both be screwed if I didn't.

She sat down in the dirt, twirling a stem of grass with her finger. "So. Who was your friend, anyway? Your brother?"

I scoffed. "Connor? No."

She took another deep breath. "So, who, then?"

I shrugged, trying to keep my cool. I started to pace. I really regretted talking to her then. "Oh... just a dude."

"A dude, huh?" she said. "Never guessed that."

"Well, you said you had no time for a relationship. Why do you care who it is?" I asked her, trying to keep up the act.

She stared off into the distance, her eyes alert to any movement. "I still want to know. Wouldn't you?"

"I guess."

Intense silence blanketed the glade we occupied like fallen snow.

After a while, she spoke up again. "You never even answered my question."

Oh great.

"No, I didn't."

"So you're just not going to tell me? Is this 'dude' some sort of mystery man or something?" She looked bugged, and curious.

"You could say that," I reasoned, circling the clearing.

"But... Never mind." She looked defeated, disappointed.

I felt sympathy, but then remembered I was the 'dude'. The 'mystery man'.

"What?" I asked her.

She sighed, squinting her eyes against the sun. "I _do _have my eye on someone. But he's an idiot, and I don't get to see him much. I really don't know why I like him."

My mood sunk like I was in quicksand.

"Who is it, then?" I asked.

She laughed, and it rang and echoed like a tingling bell. "I'm not telling you until you say who was interested."

The belly butterflies were stirring up trouble again.

"Well, I-"

"Watch out!" she yelled, and drew her sword.

Maybe three campers from the red team jumped from the trees, and began circling us, a smirk worn on their faces. Katie was the first to react, me being shell-shocked and all. She lashed out with her sword point, but an Athena dodged quickly and reflexively.

"We don't have the flag," I said, attemptign to shoo them.

A daughter of Hephaestus smiled. "We know, we just need to keep you all distracted. Easy, peasy."

The Hephaestus girl jumped forward at me, and began striking me with her sword. Luckily, she hit the air _by_ me, and it sliced harmlessly through the open air. But, of course, she wasn't done yet.

I unsheathed my sword and parried most of her strikes. Except one.

I let out a horrifying cry of pain, and dropped to the dirt.

My vision was bleary with tears, and the forest was spinning. Voices and laughs echoed and vibrated in my mind. I felt stinging in my side: a searing pain that made me cringe and writhe on the forest floor.

"Traaavvvisssss!" Katie's voice echoed in my mind, much slower than it should've been.

I saw the three enemy campers trot off, high five-ing and cheering as they made their way to where their flag was probably planted.

I saw the distant, shadowy figure of Katie rush forward. "Are you okay?"

I moaned, trying to clutch my side robotically.

"No, no," she said. "Don't touch it, it won't do you any good."

She removed my hand from my side and kept it firmly in her grasp. "MEDIC! We need a medic!"

When help didn't come, she whispered, "Stay here, Travis," she laughed, and the sound of it comforted me. "I mean... you don't have a choice, but... "

Her eyes trailed across the forest and they stayed there for a while until I reminded her with another dramatic moan of pain. She shook out of it instantly.

"Well... if there's a better time to tell you this, I can't think of one," she spoke quickly, avoiding my eyes that were now crossing and closing slowly. "Travis... I knew you never had a friend you was interested. I know you like me. And now, I think- dare I say it -can find another time for agriculture."

No matter how much I fought my eyes to stay open, I reluctantly let them shut.

* * *

I woke up in the infirmary the next afternoon.

Apollo campers rushed around my bed, tending to other injured fighters. I tried to sit up to let everything sink in, to get the feeling back in my neck, to gain full reality, but someone pushed my back down against gently.

"Wait for that," Katie said. "I recommend ambrosia or nectar first."

She guided a pink curly straw shaped like a flower to my lips. Warm liquid flooded my body and I instantly felt revived. My eyes fluttered open, and I blinked the sleep out of them. I slowly processed my surroundings.

Katie sat on my bed next to me, her hands folded in her lap. The thing that most surprised me is thats he wasn't wearing her overalls anymore. Instead, jeans and a camp shirt.

She propped me up in bed, and my head felt light but heavy all the same. The room spun, but I blinked and let it pass. Soon, the infirmary was just the right level.

"How do you feel?" Katie asked. She got up from her seat on the hospital bed and knelt by it instead, resting her elbows and chin on the edge.

I groaned, until I figured out how to use my mouth again. "Like me insides have been microwaved, frozen, and thawed."

She smiled. "So you feel cruddy?"

I nodded.

She looked like she understood. "You took a nasty bite from Macy Hicks."

I moved one muscle, and a shot of pain zipped and rocketed through my torso and up my right shoulder. "What's the damage, exactly?"

She considered,holding out a hand and counting on her fingers as she listed my injuries. "If I remember correctly... dislocated shoulder, broken wrist, and a pretty deep slash in the side."

"Yow," I sighed, impressed with myself. "Ick."

She closed the Ziplock bag full of ambrosia and held up the canteen of nectar once more. "Wanna 'nother sip?"

"Please and thank you," I gulped another swallow before laying back against the pillow.

"Pretty wiped, huh," she said understandingly.

"You could say I'm wiped," I said through moans as I felt the bandage around my torso.

She laughed weakly. "Do you remember anything?"

I strained to remember. "Well, we were talking to something, and these three campers came and totally owned me, and you were freaking out and then I blacked out."

She looked a little relieved, but bothered. "Anything else?"

I went back to the time before I passed out. Katie had told me something: something she said she couldn't tell me any other time in any other way.

"A little," I said.

"What?" she said expectantly, avoiding my eyes again.

I scratched my head with my located arm. "Well... you told me something obviously important."

"Yes," she said simply. "Do you remember what exactly?"

No matter how much I thought, though, I couldn't figure it out.

"No," I finally said, and saw the unsure look on Katie's face. "Tell me again?"

She sighed. "I'd rather not."

I said, "C'mon. Just tell me."

She took a deep, shaky breath. "Well... remember how you said that a friend was interested in me? It turns that I knew it was you who was interested all along. You're a bad liar, son of Hermes, or not."

I felt myself blush as I remembered exactly what she had said. It was imprinted in my mind like she had just said it.

_I knew you never had a friend you was interested. I know you like me. And now, I think- dare I say it -can find another time for agriculture._

"I remember now," I said plainly.

She hid her face. "You do?"

"Yeah," he said. "I'm glad you feel that way. I'm miles ahead on my road to recovery."

She turned to me. I noted the way her hair was never in place, but it was always perfect nevertheless. Her cheeks were pinker than ever.

Her smile grew, her sun freckles rippling. "Good to hear."

We shared a moment of silence, where we just smiled at each other and said nothing, but we were yet saying a thousand words.

She turned away, got up and walked to the foot of my bed. Her smile never weakened.

"Now that you're on the road to recovery," she said, "it's time for me to let you rest and catch up on some work."

"Oh."

She walked around the bed. "Have a safe ride to recovery, mystery man."

She leaned down and kissed me softly on the cheek.

* * *

That was just _darn adorable._

Up next: Chronicles of Chrisse

What paring for chapter 3?

-Juniver?

-Percabeth?

-Thaluke?

-or Lukabeth?

Let me know in a review. Or something. (:


	2. Chronicles of Chrisse: Being Green

Get ready for extreme _AW!_s with...

Chrisse.

* * *

Clarisse wasn't always the tough girl. She hid her feelings, bottled them inside to secure her own reputation as the girl you _will _kill you if you share her direct eye contact. The girl who knows no feelings but hate. They usually can't see the remorse, the happiness she can share with you if you let her.

Clarisse got jealous. She got frustrated. She got sad. She got all of the feeling every other human (or in her case, half) did. A list consisting of infinite emotions she refused to show in public, except alone in the bathroom in front of a mirror.

The only thing no one even expected Clarisse to even think about, much less feel, was compassion. But she did that day, that unfaithful day.

* * *

Clarisse emerged from the rocks unsteadily. It was late at night, nearly midnight, and the moon hung suspended high in the sky as if by a paper thin string. A cold, crisp wind swept her matted russet hair from her perspiring neck, leading it to billow out in a cloud of moldy dust that she had collected from the Labyrinth.

The daughter of Ares peered down the dark crevice. She wondered why she was even looking back in there. The palce was horrible, she was almost driven insane. But then, she remember the exact reason.

The Labyrinth was dark and quiet, and she was worried the maze had shifted and he was lost. She was about to, against all her will, climb back in and look for him again, when she heard a disturbing yell that echoed from below.

"Mary, go away, what do you want from me!" Chris Rodriquez yelled, his voice was small but terrified.

Clarisse felt a pang of sympathy- a feeling almost foreign to her heart.

"Chris, climb up, hurry. Before you get lost in that god-forsaken-"

"I-I-I..." he stuttered, faltering.

She reached a shaking hand down. Even if it was a Cyclops, she was willing to take the chance.

"Why sh-should... go away, Mary, I can help myself!" Chris protested.

"My name isn't Mary. It's Clarisse," she said calmly and patiently. "Grab my hand, and I'll get you out of there. Mary will never hurt you if you come up here."

There a moment of stunned silence.

"She won't?" he questioned, his tone easier.

"No, I promise. She can't get you up here."

Clarisse felt a cold, dirty hand securely close around hers, and the warmth that the Labyrinth had stolen from her seeped back through her fingers to her heart.

* * *

She held a spoon to his lips with a shaky wrist. The boy in front of her was still half-asleep, but his eyes flipped open when he caught sight of her hovering spoonful of nectar.

"Get that away from me!" Chris screamed, leaping backwards further into the cushion of his pillow, his eyes widened.

Clarisse sighed, frustrated. She kept reminding herself it was the Labyrinth's fault. She shook be frustrated with the maze, not its victim. Then her anger disappeared, surprising herself.

"It will make your ankle feel much better," she said smoothly, almost a whisper, that it hardly even projected across the basement. "You want the pain gone, don't you?"

"Y-yes..." he considered, his eyes raking her suspiciously. "What is it?"

"It's the nectar of the gods," she said. "It will heal you quicker than any enchantment."

"But, Mary-"

"My name _isn't Mary_!" Clarisse screamed at him. She couldn't take it anymore.

Chris's fearful expression melted, until it broke into a sob. Clarisse sank back in her chair, staring at him. It was the first time she had felt guilty about hurting someone. Guilty about making someone cry, scared. It felt horrible.

His sobs rang through the Big House like he was crying into a bullhorn.

She bent forward, and he recoiled, burying himself in the ratty, hand-me-down bed covers. Clarisse's bed covers.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I promise this will make you all better." Well.. not completely.

He stared at it hesitantly before closing his lips around the spoon and swallowing gingerly.

His expression brightened, like a child's on Christmas. "It tastes like... c-cookies."

Clarisse nodded, a smile on her face. "It's delicious, isn't it?"

He nodded eagerly. "Do you have any more?"

The look on his face was almost enough to convince her to give him another spoonful, but she didn't want to endanger him anymore.

"I can't, not yet," she said. "Too much of this stuff, and you'll burn to a crisp."

He gulped, and settled back into the covers again.

"We'll get through this, together, Chris," Clarisse said warmly. "You'll never be alone."

* * *

Chiron trotted up to her sullenly, kicking up dirt as he went. The arena was empty otherwise, besides Clarisse. Chris was in the watchful hands of Silena for now, and he was only napping. Clarisse always thought best when she was swinging her sword.

A pile of torn of battle dummies lay at her feet, fluff and old potato sacks with googley-eyes with four sticks as arms and legs.

Her sword clattered to the dirt carelessly as she reached up to take her helmet off of her head. Her hair was sticky and damp.

"Chiron? I'm _practicing_," she growled, throwing her helmet to the dirt. "I'm not in the right mood at the time, thank you."

Chiron continued to approach. The only difference was a smirk on his thousand year old face.

"I'm here to talk to you, child," the centaur said emotionless.

She froze. "_About what_?"

"Chris Rodriguez, of course."

* * *

"Silena, I don't know what to do," Clarisse muttered. "Chiron says we should just let the gods take care of Chris, and he _knows _they'll just kill him."

Silena Beauregard bit her lower lip, lipgloss now smudged on her teeth. "That might be the best thing."

Clarisse glared. "How is that the best thing? He still has a slim chance of-"

"Clarisse," she interrupted firmly. "Use logic. He's gone insane. _Completely _insane. The only way would be..."

After a few moments, Clarisse couldn't take it anymore. She was desperate for answers, but that was obvious. She had gone to the Aphrodite cabin.

"What? What'd be the only way? I mean.. besides death."

Silena took a shaky breath, twisting her fingers around her necklace. "I... it seems the only way is to convince a god to change him back."

The idea seemed legit. But it seemed risky.

"Then that's what we'll do," Clarisse said, standing up. "We'll ask a god for help."

"No way, Clarisse!" Silena stood up with her friend, her arms flailing. "No god would agree to it. They'll just blast you to pieces."

Silena emphasized by using sound effects and body language.

"We have to, Silena. It's the only way."

Silena looked confused, and stricken. "He's only an enemy half-blood that got twisted up by the maze. Why do you care this much?"

Clarisse thought of an answer. It was like explaining how water tasted.

"I rescued him. He's my responsibility whether Chiron or the gods like it or not."

"How are we going to ask the gods?"

"We pray," Clarisse said. "We wait. We wait for a sign."

* * *

The next week, Clarisse prayed every minute of the day, and even in her dreams. She hoped she would have a dream every night, but they never came like she expected. She would wait longer than time if she had to. She would wait in the Underworld.

She stayed with Chris as much as she could. Caring for him, making sure he didn't go wandering around camp, that his pillow was propped precisely the right degree, that he ate and drank enough. And not once had the daughter of war lost her temper.

She sat in a wooden dining chair beside his bed, watching him breath in and out unevenly as he slept for his eighteenth hour that day. He was calm only when he slept, so she savored the silence and the peace. But at the same time, she longed for his presence. He gave her the feeling that someone really needed her, the feeling that she wasn't always a jerk.

A candle flickered on the rickety table that sat beside his bed, along with an empty plate that was only one fourth gone. This made her concerned. _Is he eating enough? Am I doing this right?_

In the distance, she heard the faint sound of the curfew conch blow like a trumpet. It billowed inside the door and down the halls of the old house, along with a cold wind.

Chris shivered slightly, and pulled the blankets tighter around himself. Clarisse took sympathy and laid her own blanket neatly on top of the covers already present. Instead, she pulled her arms inside her t-shirt and slung to her camouflage hunting jacket for support against the night breeze.

As she stared off into the dark corners of the room, she imagined the day that the gods _would _answer. Chris would find his sense of mind again, and they'd live happily after. She could almost imagine his voice without the high-pitched stuttering like she'd heard it yesterday.

She embraced her knees and chattered, her breath floating away in a cloud of foggy water vapor. She followed it with her eyes until it disappeared.

Suddenly, a strong wind blew open the door. It flew down the steps and rushed into the basement, whipping Chris's blankets and Clarisse's hair around with it. The candlelight snuffed out, smoke rising, being led out by the wind.

Chris jerked away, clutching the blankets protectively.

"M-Mary?" he asked quietly in a half groan.

Clarisse got up from her chair, and felt for the hot candle. She lit it once again with the lighter in her pocket, and shadows danced across the walls like it never blew out.

"Have a nice sleep, Chris?" Clarisse asked softly, approaching his bedside.

He recoiled, but then retracted slowly and uninsured. "Y-yes. Why is the sun not on?"

Clarisse smiled. "It's nighttime. It's when Apollo takes a break. When Artemis takes over the sky."

"Artemis? She takes over the sky? That isn't very good."

"No, it's very good. Without the moon rising, the planet would be pitch black."

Chris nodded slowly, but he still didn't understand.

"Mary, I'm c-c-cold-d," he chattered and stuttered at the same time.

"Okay," she said in a motherly tone. "I'll go-"

Clarisse was interrupted by the front door opening further, since it was blown open by the wind.

"Clarisse?" Silena called hesitantly from around the corner, her shadow appearing on the far wall.

Silena emerged from the doorway, her distinct shadow still lurking upon the wall. Her perfect hair was pulled back in a tight ballerina bun on the top of her head, but she still looked amazing even if she just got out of bed.

"Silena?" Clarisse said, surprised. "What're you doing here?"

Silena shrugged. "It's cold in here. I thought you could use some blankets..."

She held out a pile of freshly cleaned blankets, neatly folded in a pile that was nearly taller than her.

"Thanks," Clarisse took them from her and walked over to Chris.

"Who's that?" Chris asked urgently, jabbing a finger at Silena.

"That's your friend," she said. "She's nice."

Chris didn't reply, but watched silently as Clarisse stacked four more blankets on Chris and tucked him in. He was out in seconds.

Clarisse turned to Silena, who was standing in the corner, her hands wringing her necklace like she did when she was troubled.

Clarisse walked over and laid a hand on her friend's shoulder. "What's the real reason you sneaked out after curfew, risking loss of beauty sleep?"

Silena tried to look confused, but totally failed at it and gave in.

"I... I got a dream, no more than thirty minutes ago. It was from my mother. A message."

Both of the girls' eyes widened simultaneously, and Clarisse's grip tightened.

"Well, what're you waiting for?" Clarisse said. "Tell me what your mom told you."

Silena sighed, and avoided her friend's gaze. "She said help would come, but only when we didn't need it."

* * *

Clarisse was baffled. Why would we get help when we didn't need it? It didn't make any sense. In that case, the gods' help would be useless. Chris was done for, and it was all her fault.

It time that Clarisse cherished every moment with him. It was crucial, in fact. So, for the first time since the Labyrinth escape, she would be taking Chris Rodriguez outside.

She questioned if she made the right decision or not countless times. But, of course, she denied that anything would go wrong.

"Chris," she whispered. "Do you wanna go for a walk?"

He blinked from another nap. His golden brown eyes fluttered open. "Wha-what's a... a walk, Mary?"

She patted his hand. "It's what friends do all the time. Very fun."

He smiled, but it was crooked. "Walk."

She stood up from her kneel. "Okay. Just swing your legs over, and I'll help you to your feet."

He did as he was told. She laid her arm across the back of his shoulders and guided his shaky body to the door. Light poured in like shining liquid air.

"But Mary, what if I get hurt?"

"You can't get hurt here, remember?"

She helped him up the stairs. He was wobbly after weeks in bed, so she held his arms the entire way. They finally made it to the front porch of the Big House.

Chris was scared out of his mind.

His eyes darted around the strawberry field, swept the sky, and he never stopped screaming.

Clarisse was alarmed. She immediately regretted everything. It was all going so well.

"Shh..." she said as calm as she could manage. "Nothing will hurt you. No monsters here. No maze. No scary things."

He took a deep breath but was still shaky and jumpy. Clarisse took the high road and instead guided him to one of the deck chairs.

He settled into it gingerly, like it had tacks on the seat. Clarisse sat beside him and laid her arm on his for reassurance.

"M-Mary... walks... scary."

Clarisse smiled. "You have to get used to them. That's the fun of it, you see?"

"No... I don't see."

"Yes, you do see." Clarisse pointed to a formation of geese flying high in the sky. "They won;t hurt you. They're just flying past. They're looking for their friends."

"Their friends?" Chris said. "Like you and me?"

Clarisse nodded. "You've already found yours. You're lucky."

Chris looked amazed. "I am?"

"Very," she said. "You are my friend. My best friend. And I would change nothing about you, not even now."

Chris beamed. But then his eyes widened in speechless fear.

She looked to where he was pointing, thinking it was a satyr in the fields or something, but it was nothing like a satyr at all.

The air in front of them rippled like it was a sheet of water. Chris's hand was like vice around her forearm, and she stifled a cry.

The scent of grapes flooded their sense of smell, along with the smell of fresh wine. Clarisse finally caught on.

"Chris, close your eyes!" she screamed, but still reached over and shielded the bright flash of light from his sight.

It slowly died. It was dead quiet.

Clarisse peaked from under my arm expectantly. Sure thing, Dionysus stood in front of them in his usual tiger print Hawaiian shirt and shorts, his curly hair and beard sticking up all over the place. A circlet of grape vines wrapped around his forehead.

"D-Dionysus?" This time, Clarisse was the one to stutter.

"Of _course_, you delinquent," the wine god spat.

Chris's eyes were still shut tightly.

"You're back," she said. "But sooner than usual?"

He smiled sarcastically. "Yes. So fortunate for me."

Clarisse was disappointed it wasn't her father, and she was desperate to hide it.

"But... why?"

The wine god shrugged. "Apparently I'm supposed to... what was it?"

Clarisse gestured for him to continue.

"Ah, yes. I think I was supposed to bippity-boppity-boo on some kid."

* * *

The pavilion was empty. The fire was flickering a flirtatious hot pink. It was perfect.

"You know, I never knew the fire could change that color before," Chris said curiously, biting into a chocolate-covered cherry (courtesy of Silena's father).

"I didn't either," Clarisse said, having a pretty good idea was hot pink meant in fire language. She dared not speak it out loud. She'd turn pink herself. "But, forget the fire and its fire-ness."

"Is fire-ness a word?"

Clarisse laughed, leaning against his shoulder and resting her head. "No."

Chris turned to her. His dark brown hair and his golden brown eyes had flecks of pink in them both. He could've been a Playgirl model.

"Chocolate. Chocolate on your lips," he said, smirking wildly.

"Oh wow... they're just so amazing I don't even pay attention," Clarisse said, getting ready to lick it off.

"Lemme get that for you."

Clarisse pretended she didn't see people in the woods behind her. She was glad.

"You're right. Why waste a napkin?" she said.

"Just being green, right?"

She nodded a little too eagerly before leaning into her first kiss.

* * *

Okay, so Clarisse was a little un-Clarisse. So what? I had to make is cute somehow! :3

And, the winner for the next chapter is, according to votes...

_**Thalico!**_

Up next: Thinking Thalico

What pairing for chapter 4?

- (Insert canon character please, lol)/OC

- Thaluke

- Percabeth

- or Juniver?

Lemme know in a review? (:

Happy reading, you guys!

Oh, and since all of you are unhealthily obsessed with Thalia and Nico, here's an awesome fanfic you should seriously check out. It's called Shocked to Death by HuntressOfTheSky13. Intrigued?

All of HuntressOfTheSky13's stories are _freaking amazing_. You know you wanna read it.(:


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